Rail-joint.



H. P. ROAGH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1912.

\ I Patented NOV. 18,1913.

2 8HEETSBHEET 1.

H. F. ROAGH.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED APE.13, 1912.

LUZ-78,695a Patented Nov. 18, 19 13.

two girders that embrace UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. BOAGH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BAIL-JOINT.

eas es.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Y Application filed April 13, 1912. Serial No. 690,620.

relation to the joint at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, thereby practically eliminating reverse'stra-lns and causing the load to be transmitted through the center of the joint to the ties without making a fulcrum of the ties and without causing an excessive p I ping up and down of the ties due to fulc-ruming.

One object of my present invention to provide a rail-jointof the type referred' to in which the rail-supporting portion oi lflthe joint is formed by twocoiiperatin'gparts or members on the inside. and: outside members of the joint.

of the type referred which. is so designed that there is no liability oflcinking-or bendof the joints are tightened Another object isf-to provide a rail-joint embodying the characteristics or. features ing'the rails verticallywhen: the end bolts above-mentioned," and which is so designed that it can be rolled or forgedleasiljr. And still another object i of the type-refs over the base flange thereof, and integral means on said for reventingthee .ombecoming base flanges 0f}- ithewiails 1 kinked or bent downwardlyat points ad'- jacent the ends of the joint when the end bolts are tightened. a

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out. 1 Figure 1 of the drawings is a side eleva- .tional new of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with my invention, the inside member of the joint being broken away and one of the rails being removed so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the inner face of the outside member of the joint;

Fig. ,2 is a top plan view of the joint partly "rails and lap I in horizontal section; Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the joint; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on approximately the line l-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. ti-onal view illustrating a slight modificat on of my invention; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view similar to Fig. 1 showing an other modification; Fig- 7 1s a top plan view partly in horizontal section of the rail-joint shown in Fig.0; Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of sai oint; and Fig. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 9--9 of F ig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings which illustrate one form of my invention, A and B designate the two members of the joint that embrace the rails, the m'emberA being arranged on the outside of the rails and the member B on the inside or gage-side of the rails. Both of said memhere have vertically disposed webs 1 that extend practically parallel to the webs of the rails,'and portions 2'Which lap over the base flanges of the rails, the members A and B being preferably reinforced and strengthened by means of horizontally disposed ribs Another object is to provide arail joint or thickened portions 3 which are spaced 5 1s an end elevafar enough below the under side of the heads of the rails at the ends of the joint to permit the railsto deflect slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, as Patent No. 1,013,613, dated January 2,1912. In the form ofmy invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4., inclusive, the outside member 7 A of ,the joint is provided at its upper edge -with a wheel-supporting member 4 of similar design to the wheel-supporting member of the joint described in my prior Patent No. 1,013,613, above-referred to.

In the rail-joint herein shown the railsu-pporting portion of the joint is formed by. two cooperating parts 5 and 5 on the members A and B, respectively, of the joint,

said parts 5 and 5 consisting of base plates arranged in the same horizontal plane and clearly described in my prior provided at approximately the center of the joint with flat surfaces 6 of relatively great area on which the .end portions of the base flanges of the rails rest, and inclined surfaces 7 that slope downwardly in opposite directions from the fiat horizontal rail-bearing surfaces 6 so as to prevent. the; base flanges of the rails from normally resting on the end portions of the rail-supporting supporting parts 0 parts of the joint. By forming'the joint in this manner, namely, providing flat ra lsupporting surfaces of relatlvely great area at the center of the joint on which only the .end portions of the abutting rails rest and portions of the railthe joint normally spaced away slightly from the base flanges of the rails, I practically eliminate reverse strains and distribute the load to the ties on which the joint rests without making a fulcrum of the ties and without causing a pumping up and down of the ties due to fulcruming. r

The portions 2. of the members A and B are so designed that they bear upon the top faces of the base flanges of the rails at the center of the joint and thus securely clamp the end portions of the rails in operative position upon the flat rail-bearing surfaces 6 having the remainin at the center of the joint, as shown in Fig. 4.- The members A and B are held in position.

and in engagement with the rails by means of bolts 8 that pass transversely through the webs of said members and through the webs of the rails, and as the portions 2 of said member are spaced just far enough away from the rail-supporting parts 5 and 5 at the center of the joint to receive the base flanges of the rails, the rails will be held securely against vertical and lateral movement at the center of the joint. The rails can deflect downwardly slightly with relation to the members A and B at the ends of the joint, as previously stated, and in order to prevent the rails from becoming kinked or bent vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened, I have provided the members A and B with spacing ribs or stops 9, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, which are so proportioned and disposed that they limit the inward movement of the members A and B with relation to the rails and thus prevent the portions 2 of said members from exerting sufficient downward pressure on the base flanges of the rails when the end bolts of the joint are tightened to cause the rails to kink or bend vertically at the ends of the joint. In other words, the members A and B are provided on their inner faces with devices which are so designed that they prevent said members from being drawn inwardly at the ends of the joint far enough to cause the portions 2 of said members to bend the base flanges of the rails downwardly and thus kink the .rails vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened. I have herein shown the stops or ribs 9 as extending the entire length of the members A and B but this is only for convenience in manufacturing the joint when the joint is rolled as it is only essential that the stops 9 be arranged at the ends of the joint. I prefer to design the stops 9 in such a manner that they do not contact with the vertical webs stops will not bite of the rails at the center of the joint, and also round off the ends of said stops at 9, as shown in Fig. '2, so that the ends of said into the webs of the rails or nick the rails. By forming the rail-joint in this manner I obtain an exceptionally strong and serviceable structure as the joint comprises two girders arranged parallel to the rails on opposite sides of the rails, and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so designed that the rails can deflect downwardly slightly at .the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, thereby practically eliminating reverse strains and distributing the load to.the ties on which the joint rests without causing the tiesto pump up and down. The rail-supporting portion of the joint may be formed lighter in view of the fact that it is divided and connected to both members of the joint, thus reducing the weight and cost of manufacturing the joint without impairing its efliciency.

If desired, the wheel-carrying member or tread member 4 on the outside member A of the joint that comes into service after the heads of the rails have worn down can be omitted, and both the inside and outside members of the joint formed in the same manner, as shown in Fig. 5. Instead of providing the members A and B with stops or other devices that bear against the webs of the .rails and thus limit the inward movement of said members when the end bolts of the joints are tightened, the two members of the joint that embrace the rails can be so formed that the portions thereof which lap over the base flanges of the rails are spaced slightly away from the base flanges'of the rails at the ends of the joint, thus permitting said members to move inwardly when the end bolts of the joint are tightened without causing the portions thereof that lap over the base flanges of the rails to exert downward pressure on the rails at the end of the joint. In Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I'have illustrated a rail-joint constructed in the manner just described, the two side members A and B being provided with portions 2 that bear snugly upon the base flanges of the rails at the center of the joint but are spaced away slightly from the top faces of the base flanges of the rails at the ends of the joint, as shown in Fig. 8. The rail-supporting portions 15 and 15 of the members A and B, respectively, are provided with flat rail-bearing surfaces 6 at the center of the vjoint, and downwardly inclined rail-bearing surfaces 7 which are normally spaced away from the rails soas to securely hold the terminals of the rails s am will be drawn inwardly toward the rails, but as said members are so designed that portions of same come into contact with the edges of the base flanges of the rails before the portions 2 at the ends of the joint come into engagement with, or exert downward pressure on, the base flanges of the rails,

there is no liability of bending the rails vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened. If desired, the portions of the members A and B which contact with the edges of the base flanges of the rails when the end bolts are tightened, can be rounded off at the ends of said members, as indicated by the reference character 9 in Fig. 7, so

as to prevent nicking of the rails.

In addition to the desirable features previously mentioned, a rail-joint of the character above-described is admirably adapted of the joint on whi 'rails rest, and independent downwardly infor use with electrically-bonded rails because there is suflicient pace between the webs of the rails and the two side members of the joint to receive heavy cables 16 that form a bond between the rails, said cables being shown in broken lines in Figs.3, 4, 5, 8 and '9. r

Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A rail-joint comprisin members that are arranged on opposite si es of the rails, and cotiperating rail-supportin portions on said members which are so esigned that the rails can deflect downwardly sli htly at the ends of the jointwhen a loa passes over the joint.

2. A rail-joint. comprising members that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails, and cotiperating rail-supporting portions on said members having approximately flat surfaces at the center of the joint on which the terminals of the rails bear.

.3. A rail-joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with coiiperating rail-supporting portions that .have fiat rai bearing surfaces at approximately the center of the joint, and independent rail-bearing surfaces which incline downwardly in opposite directions from said central rail-bearing surfaces.

4. A rail-joint comprising members that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails, coiiperating rail-supporting'portions on said members arranged in the same horizontal plane and each being provided with a railearing surface at aplproximately the center 0 the terminals of the clined rail-bearing surfaces which are nor mally spaced away from the rails.

5. A rail-joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which have rail-bearin surfaces on which the terminals of the rails rest, and

independent rail-bearing surfaces that are members which bears u on the base flangesof the rails and holds .t em down upon the rail-bearing surfaces at the center of-the omt.

6. A rail-joint comprisin members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-su porting portions that have approximately hat railbearing surfaces at the center of the joint on which the terminals'of the rails rest, the mainder ofsaid rail-supporting portions being normally spaced away from the under sides of the base flanges of the rails, and portions on said members that lap over the base flanges of the rails and hold them down securely on the rail-bearing surfaces at the center of the joint.

7. A rail-joint comprising members ar ranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with coiiperating rail-supporting portions which have rail-bearing surfaces at approximately the center of 'the joint on which the terminals ofthe railsnormally rest and independent rail-bearing surfaces adjacent the ends of the joint which are normally spaced awayfrom the under side of the base flanges of the rails, portions on said members that lap over the base flanges of the rails, and bolts that pass transversely through the rails and through said members, said members being so designed that the portions of the same-which lap over the base flanges ofthe rails will not cause the rails to kink or bend vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened. I

8. A rail-joint comprisin members arranged on opposite sides o the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions, means for sup orting and clamping the end portions of t e rails, and'means for permittin the rails to deflect slightly at the ends 0 the joint when a load passes over the joint. I

9. A rail-joint comprisin members arranged on opposite sides 0 the rails and provided with cotiperating rail-supporting portions, meansfor supporting and clamping the end portions of the rails, means for permitting the rails to deflect slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, and a wheel-tread portion on one of said members that extends across the joint or open space between the heads of the abutting rails.

10. A rail-joint comprising member arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cotiperating rail-supporting portions, means for supporting and clamping the end portions of the rails, means for permitting the rails to deflect slightly at rying portion having a twisted wheel-tread surface.

' 11. A rail-joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so designed that the rails are firmly supported at the center'of the joint but can deflect downwardly slightly adjacent the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said members which lap over the base flanges of the rails, and means for, preventing said members from being drawn inwardly far enough when the end bolts of the joint are tightened to cause the rails to be bent or kinked vertically adjacent the ends of the joint.

12. A rail joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so designed that the rails are firmly supported at the center of the joint but can deflect downwardly slightly adjacent the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said members which lap over the base flanges of the rails, and devices on said members that cooperate with the webs of the rails to limit the inward movement of said members relatively to the rails.

13. A rail -joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so designed that the rails are firmly supported at the center of the joint but can deflect downwardly slightly adjacent the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said members which lap over the base flanges of the rails, and integral stops on the inner sides of said'members which are adaptedto engage the webs of the rails at the ends of the joint when the end bolts are tightened and thus limit the inward movement of said members toward the rails.

14; A rail-joint comprisin rolled members arranged on opposite si es of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so designed that the rails are supported firmly at the center of the joint but can deflect downwardly slightly adjacent the ends of the 'oint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said members that lap over the .base flanges of the rails, and integral horizontally disposed ribs on the inside of said members which are so proportioned that they bear against the webs of the rails atthe ends of the joint when the end bolts of fthe joint are tightened.

15. A rail-joint comprisin rolled members arranged on opposite si es of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which are so deslgned that the rails are supported firmly at the center of the joint but can deflect downwardly slightly adjacent the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said mem bers that la over the base flanges of the rails, inwar ly projecting stops on the inner sides of said members adjacent the ends of the same which cooperate with the webs of the rails to limit the inward movement of i the joint, and integral portions on said girders that lap over the base flanges of the rails and hold the terminals of the rails securely in position.

17 A rail-joint comprising two members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions which have rail-bearing surfaces adjacent the center of the joint .on which the terminals of the rails rest and independent rail-bearing surfaces which are normally spaced away from the rails so as to permit the rails to deflect slightly adjacent the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, and rail flange engaging ortions on said members having incline surfaces which bear upon the top faces of the flanges of the rails at the center of the joint but are spaced slightly away from the flanges of the rails at the ends of the joint so that they will not exert downward pressure on the rails at the ends of the 'oint when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

18. A rail-joint com rising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-supporting portions that have rail-bearing surfaces at approximately the center of the. joint on which the terminals of the rails normally rest, portions on said members that lap over the base flanges of the rails and bolts that pass transversel. through said members and rails, said mem ers belng so-designed that the portions of the same which lap over the base flanges of the rails will not cause the rails to bend or kink vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

19. A rail-joint comprisin members that are arranged on-opposite si es of the rails, cooperatin rail-supporting portions on said members w ich are so designed that the rails can deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the joint. when a load passes over the joint, and portions on said members which members which are so twe 1 1a over the base flanges of the rails and ho d them down upon said rail-supporting portions at the centerof the joint. F1

20. A rail-'oint comprisin members that are arranged on opposite si es of the rails,

from said .central rail-bearm portions on said members w ich la over the base flanges of the rails and hol them down on the rail-bearing surfaces at the center of the joint.

22. A rail-joint comprisin members that} are arranged on opposite si es of the rails, cooperating rail-supporting portions on said members arranged in the same horizontal plane and each provided with a rail-bearing surface at approximately the center of the joint on WhlCh the terminals of the rails rest, independent downwardly inclined rail bearing surfaces which are normally spaced .away from the rails, and portions on said members which lap over the base flanges of the rails and holdthem down upon the railbearin surfaces at the center of the-joint.

23. rail-joint comprising members that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails, cooperating rail-supportin portions on said esigned that the rails can deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint, portions on said members which lap over the base flanges of the rails and hold them down upon said rail-supporting port-ions at the center of the joint, and bolts that pass transversely through the rails and through said members, said members being so designed that the portions of the same which lap over the base flanges of the rails will not cause the rails to kink or bend vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened. 1 24. A rail-joint comprisin members that are arranged on opposite si es of the rails, cooperating rail-supporting portions on said members havin approximately flat surfaces at the center 0 the 'oint on which-the terminals of the rails ear, portions onsaid members which lap over the base flanges of the rails and holdthem down on said approximately flat rail-bearing surfaces, and bolts that pass transversely through the rails and throughsaidmembers, said mem- -bein ed; that the portions of I the-same vhiciida p over the base flanges of the rails will not cause the rails to km]: or

bend'vertic allyjwhen the end bolts of the joint are ti htened- ,25; A ,ra l-joint-jcom rising members arrangedon opposite si, es of the rails and proyided with cooperating rail-supporting portionsthat have flat rail-bearing surfaces atapproximat 'el" thefcenter of the joint, in dependent railaring surfaces which incline downwardly in opposite directions from said central rail-bear1n surfaces, portions on said memberswhici lap over the base flanges of therails and hold them down on the raiLbea'rin surfaces at the center of the joint; andbo tslth'at pass transversely through the. rails'and through said mem- -bers, said-members being so designed that the portions of the same which lap over the base flan es ofthe rails, will not cause the rails to 'nk or bend vertically when the end" bolts of the'joint; are tightened. 26. "A rail-joint comprisin members that are arranged on opposite si es of the rails, cooperating rail-supporting portions on said members arranged; in thesame horizontal plane and each provided with a rail-bearing surface at approximately the center of the joint on which the terminals of the rails rest, independent downwardly inclined railbearin surfaceswhi'ch are normally spaced away rom the rails, ortions on said members which lap over t e base flanges of the rails and hold them down upon the railbearing surfaces at the center of the joint, and bolts that pass transversely through the rails and through said members, said members being so designed that the portions of the same which lap over the base flanges of the rails will not cause the rails to kink or bend vertically when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

27. A rail-joint comprisin members that are arranged on opposite si esvof the rails,

cotiperating rail-supporting portions on said members havin approximately fiat surfaces at the center 0 the joint on which the terminals of the rails bear, means for clamping the end portions of the rails, and means for permitting the rails to deflect slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint.

28. A rail-joint comprising members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and provided with cooperating rail-sup orting portions that have rail bearing surf cesat approximately the center of the joint on which the terminals of the rails normally rest, portions on, said members that lap over the base flanges of the rails and bear on the top faces of said flanges at approximately the center of the joint, and bolts that pass transversely through said members and rails, said members being so designed that the portions of the same .which lap over the ase flanges of the rails will not cause the rails to bend or kink vertically when the end-bolts" of the joint are tightened.

1 bear upon the top faces of. said flanges only at approximately the center of the joint, and vertically disposed portions that extend ,along the webs of the rails, and fastening devices that pass transversely through said vertically disposed portions and through the webs of the rails.

30. A rail-joint comprising a pair of members of girder construction that are arranged on opposite sides ofthe rails, said members havin cooperating portions on which the vbase anges of the rails normally bear only at approximately the center of the joint, portions that lap over the base flanges of the rails and bear upon the top faces of said base flanges at approximately the center of thejoint, and vertically disposed portions that extend along the webs of the rails but which do not bear against the underside of the heads of the rails at the ends of the joint, and fasteningdevices that pass transversely through said vertically disposed portions and through the webs of the rails.

- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

this ninth day of April 1912. g

I HARRY F. ROACH.

Witnesses:

WELLS LL CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

